Miracle of miracles, the Mackie Onyx 400F audio interface is finally in stock, as of December 6!
I’ve been using a MOTU Traveler since trying to buy the Mackie for my new studio rig in May of this year. It has been solid with the G5 and Logic 7.1. But I’m still going to try the Mackie because the Traveler has more options than I need, and the Mackie has the potential to sound even better with its Onyx pre-amps and AKM converters.
I’ll update this as I go…
Imaging is impressive on the S8. I’ve mixed on NS10’s, JBL 4208 and 4312, and various Genelec and Tannoy models. The S8 is not as pretty-sounding as a Genelec, but I prefer it that way. Some Tannoy monitors, especially the older concentric units, are cleaner than the S8 but not by much.
I had sworn off Sweetwater years ago, and now I remember why. Even though their website implies that the Mackie 400F is in stock, and my “personal sales rep” has told me twice now that they would be in in a matter of days, none of this is actually true. Worse, I had to contact him via voicemail and email and wait for the unfortunate answer every time. When I asked if I could be bumped up to express shipping because of the wait, he tells me I’d have to ask Mackie. Hold on, isn’t that why I have a “personal sales rep?” Laughable.
Mackie is finally still not shipping their Onyx 400F audio interface. I’ve been shopping for this last bit of hardware for months, so this is a relief. And just in time, too!
Now that the product is official, more details have been announced which made this decision even easier. When used with OS X, the Mackie 400F uses native CoreAudio drivers. This doesn’t quite mean it’s officially supported by Apple, but it should ensure compatibility at the OS level. Echo Audio actually designed the “brains” of this new interface, a chipset called Fireworks. That’s where the native CoreAudio compatibility comes from, as well as the ability to create custom internal routing and other good things. This gives the Mackie box instant history, as Echo has been making Mac and PC audio interfaces for years.